JOURNAL
Discover Innerleithen’s High Street
In this article we showcase the lovely Tweed Valley town of Innerleithen and showcase just some of the wonderful shops which are located on the High Street.
Peebles is of course famous for its independent shops but if you haven’t yet sampled the shops in Innerleithen, we highly recommend that you also take a closer look at the street which was once nearly called Piccadilly.
More recently, Innerleithen was shortlisted for having Scotland’s most beautiful High Street. But getting back to why it was nearly called Piccadilly! Much of Innerleithen was built on Traquair land. The Earl of Traquair was supportive of the development of the town and sold or granted leases on land for the building of business premises and housing. He also greatly admired London, thus Innerleithen now boasts a Strand and a Bond Street and, nearly, a Piccadilly. While the Strand and Bond Street were mainly residential it is likely that, as Piccadilly became the obvious business centre of the town, High Street was deemed more appropriate.
Built on the success of the wool and knitwear industry, Innerleithen is now better known for mountain biking. Nearby 7stanes is regarded as one of the best and most challenging downhill tracks in the UK and the town welcomes a host of biking events. The town has seen a number of changes over the last few years, most of them related to mountain biking becoming such a dominant focus. Shops such as cycling and outdoor wear brand Findra, bike shops and coffee shops have popped up on the High Street over the last few years.
The future is bright for Innerleithen and it's clear that with the continuing level of investment in the High Street, town and surrounding area, there is a great opportunity to shine the spotlight and bring visitors from across the world to experience it for themselves.
Here are some examples of how businesses in the town are creating innovative experiences for visitors and driving this growth.
The Hub on the High Street
More than just a gift shop, The Hub also have a wealth of knowledge on the local area with its own tourist information point located in the shop with everything you need to know about the Tweed Valley.
This independent gift shop sells an exciting selection of locally made and local sourced gifts such as gins, local craft beers, whiskies, jewellery, Scottish books, children's books, local art and much more. They also have a range of ladies’ cashmere clothing and accessories, fair trade bags from Earth Squared, scarfs, handmade and hand-crafted Jewellery.
You can also Click and Collect your Isle of Harris Gin from the shop, just place an order on their website then select The Hub on The High Street as your pickup point. They also stock Traquair Ales and beers from Tempest Brewery.
The Bike Shop
The Bike Shop of Innerleithen is provided for visitors and the local ride community by Adrenalin Uplift, one of the best Mtb uplift and shuttle services in Scotland.
The shop provides riders with a fantastic selection of bikes, accessories, components, clothing, protection, workshop for repairs and bike rental in the Tweed Valley. Riders can rent from a wide selection of E-bikes, Enduro or Gravel Bikes to help enjoy some of the best bike terrain in Scotland.
Guides help you find the best trails or single track that the area has to offer, or one of the shop team will point you in the direction to have an amazing day.
The team is here to help you enjoy the best experience from the trails, have you back on the pedals as soon as possible from the workshop or have you looking your best on the bike.
Lou Lou’s Vintage Emporium
This award-winning retailer of fine vintage Scottish cashmere, designer clothing and accessories is built on a sustainable ethos of re-wearing and re-using. Alongside the extensive clothing range sits an eclectic selection of art, crafts, china, upcycled furniture, postcards, books and glassware and an array of unique pieces by local makers and artists.
An eclectic mix of vintage clothing, jewellery, accessories and upcycled furniture and vintage household decor. Winner of Scotland’s Business Awards - Scottish Borders Best Independent Retailer. Specialising in Vintage Scottish Cashmere and Scottish Designer Clothing and accessories-with many items having been made locally - Ballantyne Cashmere, Bernat Klein, Jean Muir, Murray Allan.
Findra
Award winning outdoor and active lifestyle clothing and accessories designed in Innerleithen.
Stylish, Scottish-designed active clothing for women and men made with Merino Wool and Recycled Performance Fabrics. Gorgeous store that’s a bit of a destination in its own right. Now with its own cafe too!
Made from wool ethically sourced in Australia and spun in Italy, their seamless garments are designed with passion in the heart of the Scottish Borders and proudly made in Britain. Findra adds style to functionality; it'll take you from the office to the hills and back to the coffee shop.
The Framing Gallery
Custom framing for all types of artwork, a large selection of original screenprints, lino prints and limited edition digital prints, plus a lovely selection of handmade arts and crafts from across the Scottish Borders and beyond.
The team specialise in custom made picture framing for all types of artwork and memorabilia. From original art to photographs, prints posters and textiles, they can provide guidance on the best framing solutions.
Haus & Co
Haus & Co is an award-winning lifestyle and Scandinavian design store anchored in the beautiful landscape of Innerleithen. Discover independent makers, Scandinavian brands, must have lifestyle products and much more.
Run by Gary and Gary, this independent lifestyle store has a stylish selection of Scandinavian-inspired gifts and homewares. True craftsmanship and ethical sourcing, their conscientious approach extends to Haus Coffee.
Looking for interior design inspiration, why not consider Haus & Co’s interior design services? If you need some help with your home renovation project but don’t necessarily need the full works. The team can help address issues that you are unsure about or need advice on along with specific room schemes where we deal with key challenges such as furniture, layouts window, treatments, flooring, lighting, paint, colours, and more.
Last Century Books
A rare gem of a bookshop, offering an eclectic range of affordable and interesting titles.
It morphed from an antique shop when, almost by accident, proprietors Keith and Gill Miller discovered a demand in the local area for a good second-hand bookshop. A few antiques remain, but most of their sales are now books.
The shop looks small from the outside but holds nearly twenty thousand books with an equal amount in stock. The books are mostly gathered from the Borders and Edinburgh, a university city and hub of the printing craft in Scotland. Last Century Books have a few antiquarian and first editions, but most of its stock is in the 'reading market'.
A whole wall is devoted to books on Scotland and Scots history; topography; language; literature; music and poetry. There is a huge selection of OS maps. Large sections on military, topography, history, biography, natural history, sport, sci fi and of course, general literature and fiction.
